iPlayer Catch-up Service From BBC Launched In Western Europe

The BBC is planning to go ahead with the launch the global version of its iPlayer catch-up service starting with an iPad app for Western Europe.

The iPad app will provide BBC fans in Western Europe with a mix of new and archived content in on-demand form, an approach different from the one taken for the UK version of the service.

“The freedom from catch-up means that we've got a lot more flexibility in terms of what we put on there and how we present it,” the head of global iPlayer Jana Bennett said in a statement as cited by The Guardian.

In the UK, the iPlayer catch-up service is available for free as its fees is covered in the mandatory fee that Britons pay for TV services.

However, for its Western Europe iPad app, the BBC plans to charge something under £6 per month, although, it is yet to announce a pricing plan.

The platform will be launched in other markets besides Western Europe on the basis of the response it gets. The BBC also hinted that the service will continue to expand to new markets and device platforms as the global roll out progresses.

Despite low pricing, the initial success of BBC’s global iPlayer service will demand on far the iPad has been able to penetrate the Western European market.